"Little Sister" | ||||
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Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
A-side | ||||
Released | August 8, 1961 | |||
Recorded | June 26, 1961 | |||
Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee[1] | |||
Genre | Rock and roll,[2] rock[3] | |||
Length | 2:33 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman[1] | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Sholes[1][4] | |||
Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Little Sister" on YouTube |
"Little Sister" is a rock and roll song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.[1] It was originally released as a single in 1961 by American singer Elvis Presley, who enjoyed a No. 5 hit with it on the Billboard Hot 100. The single (as a double A-side with "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame") also reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart.[5] Lead guitar was played by Hank Garland and the rhythm guitar was played by Scotty Moore with backing vocals by the Jordanaires featuring the distinctive bass voice of Ray Walker.
Presley performs it as part of a medley with "Get Back" in the 1970 rockumentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is. "Little Sister" would later be covered by such artists as Dwight Yoakam, Robert Plant, The Nighthawks, and Pearl Jam. A version by Ry Cooder, from his album Bop Till You Drop, was a number-one hit in New Zealand.[6][7]
The lyric makes mention of "Jim Dandy" which was the title of a 1956 tune "Jim Dandy" by LaVern Baker. An answer song to "Little Sister", with the same melody but different lyrics, was recorded and released under the title "Hey, Memphis" by Baker on Atlantic Records (Atlantic 2119-A) in September 1961.